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wireless-fiber-the-speed-of-light-and-wall-street
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Jun 2, 2012

Wireless, Fiber, the Speed of Light, and Wall Street

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/wireless-fiber-speed-light-and-wall-street

A few weeks ago, I read that Wall Street traders had invested $300 million in a new fiber optic line between Chicago and New York City to shave a few milliseconds off the existing route in order to gain a massive advantage for their computer trading algorithms. This investment, which could have brought real value… Continue reading

Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | 1 Comment | Updated on Jun 1, 2012

A City is Not a Private Corporation Austin Reminds Us

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/austin-reminding-city-private-corporation/

A private corporation has one legal obligation:  to maximize the return to its shareholders.  As Milton Friedman famously remarked, “There is one and only one social responsibility of business-to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profit….” A city is also legally structured as a corporation, but a municipal corporation has… Continue reading

utopia-scapegoated-as-area-cities-increase-taxes
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Jun 1, 2012

UTOPIA Scapegoated as Area Cities Increase Taxes

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/utopia-scapegoated-area-cities-increase-taxes

Jesse Harris has posted an interesting update on the present UTOPIA situation, where a number of cities are heaping perhaps too much blame on UTOPIA for rising local taxes. A lot of cities have been talking property tax hikes lately, and the most certain thing about all of the proposals is that elected officials are… Continue reading

fiber-referendum-fails-in-siloam-springs
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on May 31, 2012

Fiber Referendum Fails in Siloam Springs

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/fiber-referendum-fails-siloam-springs

In an unsurprising result, voters in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, chose not to build their own FTTH network. The margin was 58% against, 42% for. According to that article, the opponents (bankrolled largely by national cable company Cox) outspent proponents by 3:1. We previously covered this plan and were concerned that the number one reason identified… Continue reading

hbc-steps-down-from-managing-fibernet-monticello
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on May 30, 2012

HBC Steps Down from Managing FiberNet Monticello

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/hbc-steps-down-managing-fibernet-monticello

In a surprise move, HBC has announced it will end management of FiberNet Monticello, though the actual time frame has not been announced. FiberNet Monticello is a FTTH network approximately 45 miles northwest of Minneapolis. HBC has been operating the publicly owned network, offering triple play services, since inception. FiberNet Monticello has had a particularly… Continue reading

2011 TRP Contest Winner garden shed
Article filed under Deconstruction, Waste to Wealth | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on May 30, 2012

The ReUse People of America Launches National 2012 ReUse Contest

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/reuse-people-america-launches-national-2012-reuse-contest/

The ReUse People of America, Inc. (TRP), announced its Fourth Annual and First National Reuse Contest for projects built out of primarily used materials that have been completed within the last 12 months. TRP’s national ReUse Contest is open from May 1 to August 31, 2012. Continue reading

wireless-is-driving-a-fiber-optic-boom
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Lisa Gonzalez | No Comments | Updated on May 30, 2012

Wireless is Driving a Fiber Optic Boom

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/wireless-driving-fiber-optic-boom

During 2011, nineteen million miles of fiber optic cable were installed in the United States, according to CRU Group, a global research firm. That means all the fiber that was laid in the U.S. last year could be wrapped around the equator 763 times. It was the largest installation since the boom year of 2000…. Continue reading

petaluma post office
Featured Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | 2 Comments | Updated on May 29, 2012

How Phantom Accounting Is Destroying The Post Office

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/phantom-accounting-destroying-post-office/

As every 6 year old learns, there is real and there is make believe. The massive Post Office deficit that is driving management to commit institutional suicide by ending 6 day delivery, closing half of the nations’ 30,000 or so post offices and half it’s 500 mail processing centers, and laying off over 200,000 workers,… Continue reading

johnson-city-teams-up-with-bvu-authority-for-broadband
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on May 29, 2012

Johnson City Teams up with BVU Authority for Broadband

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/johnson-city-teams-bvu-authority-broadband

We have been watching Johnson City, Tennessee, examine its options to improve broadband options in their community using extra capacity from fiber-optic investments for smart-grid implementation. Johnson City has been looking for a partner that would offer services to local businesses and perhaps residents. We were concerned about that approach as a private-sector partner may… Continue reading

wally-bowen-open-wireless-is-essential-infrastructure
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on May 29, 2012

Wally Bowen: Open Wireless is Essential Infrastructure

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/wally-bowen-open-wireless-essential-infrastructure

Once again, we are reprinting an opinion piece by Wally Bowen, founder of the nonprofit Mountain Area Information Network based in Asheville, North Carolina. The op-ed was originally published in the Asheville Citizen-Times. Once upon a time, Internet enthusiasts made the following comparison: the Internet is to 21st-century economies what navigable waterways and roads were… Continue reading